Caraval
Stephanie Garber, 2017
Fantasy Young adultContemporary fictionRomance
A game you can play only by invitation, a wish at the end of it, and a sister who won't wait for permission. A lush, fast-moving fantasy with a theatrical, slightly ominous mood and a heroine who feels every color as she navigates a game whose rules keep shifting.
Who it’s for
You may like it if you enjoy YA fantasy, sister bonds, and a romance tangled into a puzzle-box game. The first book in a series, it ends with threads still open, so readers who want a self-contained story may feel left hanging.
Why read it
It offers a vivid escape into a world where performance and reality blur, with a sister relationship driving the stakes and a game that keeps you guessing.
A page from the book
The wish that changes everything, if you dare to play it.
Whatever you’ve heard about Caraval, it doesn’t compare to the reality. It’s more than just a game or a performance. It’s the closest you’ll ever find to magic in this world. Her grandmother’s words played in Scarlett’s head as she looked at the slips of paper in her hands. The Caraval stories she adored as a young girl never felt more real than they did in that moment. Scarlett always saw flashes of color attached to her strongest emotions, and for an instant goldenrod desire lit up inside her. Briefly, Scarlett let herself imagine what it would be like to go to Legend’s private isle, to play the game and win the wish. Freedom. Choices. Wonder. Magic. Stephanie Garber.Stephanie Garber wrote the novel in the middle of a years-long failed attempt to publish fiction; Caraval became a bestseller and a word-of-mouth hit before it was even out.
Books that feel like this
Heartless
Marissa Meyer, 2016
The Queen of Hearts was once a girl in love with a court jester—and Wonderland doesn't let anyone keep a soft heart.
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas, 2015
A human huntress is taken into a faerie court as payment for a kill, and finds desire, danger and old bargains waiting there.
The Cruel Prince
Holly Black, 2018
A mortal girl raised among faeries decides she will not be a pawn, in a court where every kindness has a price and every promise can be twisted.
The Inheritance Games
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A girl inherits a stranger’s fortune and must live in his house with four brothers who all want answers—the will itself is a game.
The Night Circus
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A black-and-white circus arrives without warning and opens only at night; two young illusionists are bound into a contest neither fully understands.
Shadow and Bone
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More by Stephanie Garber
Once Upon a Broken Heart
Stephanie Garber, 2021
A girl bargains with a dangerous, charming Fate to stop a wedding and learns that fairy-tale deals always cost more than they seem.
Where to get it
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Questions readers ask
- Is Caraval for me?
- You may like it if you enjoy YA fantasy, sister bonds, and a romance tangled into a puzzle-box game. The first book in a series, it ends with threads still open, so readers who want a self-contained story may feel left hanging.
- What is Caraval like?
- A lush, fast-moving fantasy with a theatrical, slightly ominous mood and a heroine who feels every color as she navigates a game whose rules keep shifting.
- What should I read after Caraval?
- If you liked Caraval, try Heartless (Marissa Meyer), A Court of Thorns and Roses (Sarah J. Maas) and The Cruel Prince (Holly Black).
A taste of the feed
The moment someone tells you you've changed, and they're right.
Mind my words, Cheshire, I will have you banished from this kingdom if you tempt me.“ ”An empty threat from an empty girl.“ She rounded on him, teeth flashing. ”I am not empty. I am full to the brim with murder and revenge. I am overflowing and I do not think you wish for me to overflow on to you.“ ”There was a time“ – Cheshire yawned – ”when you overflowed with whimsy and icing sugar. I liked that Catherine better.
Heartless · Marissa Meyer
What a stare can say before a secret even slips.
Rhysand stared at me for long enough that I faced him. "Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don’t feel anything at all.
A Court of Thorns and Roses · Sarah J. Maas
The loneliness of getting exactly what you wanted.
I have lied and I have betrayed and I have triumphed. If only there was someone to congratulate me.
The Cruel Prince · Holly Black
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